DODGE

2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack

Stellantis put quite a lot of time and effort into electrifying the new Dodge Charger, which effectively replaces the old Charger and Challenger. Unfortunately for Ford's rival, those efforts haven't exactly paid off, as the all-electric Charger Daytona has been met with a cold market. In fact, the the entry-level R/T has already been discontinued due to slow sales, and the automaker is now pivoting its focus to the new, Hurricane I-6 powered variants. The first of that bunch is the 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack, a Ford Mustang rival that just debuted.

These are excellent numbers, but what's arguably more impressive about these Sixpacks is the fact that they've got some sweet drivetrain and chassis features to take advantage of the boosted sixes. Both R/T and Scat Pack feature an 8-speed automatic transmission paired with all-wheel drive as standard. The transfer case has a clutch on it so that the front axle can be fully disconnected. This serves two purposes. The car can disengage the front axle on its own for better fuel economy when cruising, or it can be manually disengaged by the driver so that the Charger becomes a true rear-drive muscle car.

Both trims also come standard with a rear limited-slip differential and Line Lock, so it will be a breeze to turn tires into smoke. Speaking of tires, the standard width set is 275-mm wide, with 305-mm ones available optionally. Launch Control, with adjustable launch RPM, is also standard for when you want to go fast, rather than make a show. Bringing everything to a stop on all Chargers are six-piston Brembo front calipers with 15-inch vented rotors. The rear rotors are 14.2-inch units. Having big power and big brakes are welcome, since the Sixpack still isn't light at 4,816 pounds.

The focus of course is the twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six under the hood, rebranded as the Sixpack here. In this Scat Pack model, it’s good for 550 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. An R/T model coming next year will offer 420 hp and 468 lb-ft. In the Scat Pack, the engine mates to an eight-speed automatic and a wet-clutch transfer case sending power to all four wheels. Rear traction is aided by a standard mechanical limited-slip differential. The redline is unusually low for an engine like this at just 6,000 rpm, but Dodge says it got everything it wanted out of this engine with that redline, so there was no need to raise it. Not to say they couldn’t for a future model, though, and make even more power.

Dodge also says it’s all good for a 0–60-mph sprint of 3.9 seconds and a 12.2-second quarter-mile elapsed time. We’ll see what times we get once we test it, but a trio of passes down an eighth-mile dragstrip revealed the car is remarkably consistent, with each run varying by only a few hundredths of a second. It’s mildly annoying that the launch control is buried several menus deep, but once you have that screen displayed it’s easy to use at the tree.

The line lock feature is far more convoluted, requiring you to stand on the brake, then press and hold the OK button on the steering wheel, release the brake but not the button, then floor the gas while still holding the button. Release the button, and you can roll out of it, but release it before the wheels are spinning, and it’ll cancel the whole thing. Pat your head and rub your belly enough, and it works as advertised, but it’s a lot of steps to do a burnout.

It may not be the Hemi V8-powered version that many Mopar fans are clamoring for, but the 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack is, at least, packing a gas engine underhood - the aforementioned twin-turbocharged 3.0L Hurricane I-6, which is offered in two guises. The base R/T comes with a standard output version of that engine, which produces 420 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque, while the high-output Scat Pack gets 550 horsepower and 531 pound-feet. In either case, both versions are equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

While Dodge hasn't revealed performance data for the base version of the Charger Sixpack, it does say that the Scat Pack will do 0-60 in less than four seconds, and cover the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds, with a top speed of 177 mph. Those figures are aided by standard all-wheel drive across the board, along with a standard Line Lock feature for the Scat Pack, plus a mechanical limited-slip differential and launch control. Brembo six-piston calipers are positioned up front, which helps slow down the hefty 4,800-pound machine.

In terms of appearances, the 2026 Dodge Charger Sixpack doesn't look much different than its EV brethren, save for slight revisions to the front fascia, hood, and the presence of dual exhaust tips out back. The interior is also basically identical, with just a few minor tweaks present. Both Sixpack variants will be offered in two- and four-door configurations, with a starting price of $51,990 for the R/T and $56,990 for the Scat Pack, and both are expected to launch by the end of 2025.

Autonews